Yesterday was an amazing day! We had a thrilling offroading adventure with the Volkswagen Tiguan. I usually prefer diesel, ladder-on-frame SUVs for offroading, but the Tiguan, a petrol, monocoque SUV, pleasantly surprised me. I’ve driven the Tiguan multiple times, but I never thought it could handle offroading this well. It’s all thanks to the remarkable 4MOTION technology that effortlessly guides it through every obstacle.
To be honest, not many people would take their premium and costly Tiguan offroad, especially in India. So, Volkswagen set up an off-road course to test the Tiguan’s capabilities.
The Tiguan is powered by a 2.0 TSI engine, a gem from the VW Group known for its power. But let’s not dwell on the engine; everyone knows it’s strong. What truly amazed me was its performance on the obstacles:
The offroad course we tackled with the Volkswagen Tiguan was an adventurous journey through various challenging obstacles.
- Inclined Terrains (Hill Hold Assist): The course started with inclines to put the hill hold assist feature to the test. It’s here that the Tiguan showed its stability on slopes, thanks to its advanced technology.
- Steep Ditches (Hill Descent Control): The next challenge was steep ditches. This was where the hill descent control feature came into play. It skillfully controlled the Tiguan’s descent on challenging slopes, proving its mettle in handling steep terrains.
- Chicken Pots (Articulation Check): Moving on, we encountered “chicken pots,” a terrain with uneven surfaces. This part of the course was designed to check the Tiguan’s articulation, and how well it could adapt to the rough ground. Impressively, it handled these irregularities with ease.
- Traction Test (One-Side Articulation): We then arrived at a section where one side of the vehicle was put to the test. Here, the Tiguan showcased its traction capabilities, maintaining balance while navigating uneven terrain.
- Water Wading Test: The course’s final challenge was the water wading test. This involved driving through water and testing the Tiguan’s ability to handle wet and challenging conditions. It came out of the water test with flying colours.
Despite its stiff suspension, designed for highway performance, it fared well on these challenges. This German SUV proved it didn’t need long-travel suspension, or a low-range gearbox to tackle offroad terrain.